Flu infections sweep America hospitalizing thousands and leaving 18 children dead of complications [View all]

[dkf]

Last edited Mon Jan 7, 2013, 02:44 PM - Edit history (1)

2,257 people have been hospitalized since the start of flu season
Three-fourths of those with symptoms say the were not vaccinated
41 states have reported cases

While the CDC is waiting for more time to pass before classifying the season, Google Flu Trends
has already listed it as 'intense' by monitoring flu activity around the world based on internet search terms.

And roughly 4 per cent of users on Flu Near You, a real-time tracking tool gaining about 100 new participants per week, say they're experiencing symptoms.

'That's huge,' John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital Boston, told NBC News. 'Last year, we never got near this.'
Brownstein is one of the founders of Flu Near You, a project, coordinated by Children’s Hospital Boston, the Skoll Global Threats Fund and the American Public Health Association.

The project has been a great tool for generating immediate data about the ongoing flu season.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2257597/Flu-infections-sweep-America-hospitalizing-thousands-leaving-18-children-dead-complications-going-worse.html#ixzz2HDdXuSGk